Page 1 of Merciless

PATIENCE IS BITTER, BUT ITS FRUIT IS SWEET.

— Aristotle

CHAPTER 1

EDEN

The crow’s scream splits through the courtyard. The crowd pauses for a moment, then moves on like nothing ever happened. Black feathers float around my head before they dance onto the manicured grass of Astar Elite University.

I crouch beside the dead bird and reach for the poor thing, hesitating at the last second before touching its gossamer wing. I stare at its bent neck, hating the uncanny angle and how its beady eye glares at me, as if it were my fault it succumbed to this misfortune.

Finding a dead crow is an omen of change. It symbolizes death, then rebirth. The latter being overlooked by most people. I don’t fear death because I know something good will come out of it.

Or finding a dead crow could mean that Derrick Thomas is an evil bastard who enjoys killing animals for his friends’ entertainment.

Tears fill my eyes as I glare at the nearby ball.

People go on like Derrick didn’t just kill a bird. It’s nothing more than shit beneath their pristine shoes.

I glare at them, hating their rich-snob mentality. Nothing matters to them unless they get something out of it.

Derrick’s cackles fill the courtyard, and his friends join in. Katie’s high-pitched laughter peels louder than theirs, grating on my already frayed nerves. The stupid bitch would do anything for the guys’ attention, which includes fake-laughing. All except for her cousin Derrick.

I gather the dead crow in my palms and bring it closer to my chest. Stroking my thumb over its cold feathers, I glare at the assholes. They stand off to the side, watching me with shared expressions of amusement and disgust. They cover their mouths, thinking it’s enough to disguise their chuckles. Katie is the only one openly laughing. She glances at the group every few seconds, checking to be certain they’re still joining her.

Derrick’s gaze meets mine. His grin stretches wider and hooks in the corner to form a malicious smile that’s meant to unsettle me. I’ve always found blond men attractive, but ever since meeting this asshole, my preferences have drastically changed.

My frown deepens. The jerk is betting on me looking away from him first, and I refuse to give him that.

His smile fades, and he scowls at me when I don’t give him what he wants.

Movement beside him rips my attention to the person shifting and refusing to spare a glance my way. His expression is blank—nothing new there. He’d rather watch paint dry than look at me.

Elijah Astar—my stepbrother, the playboy of Astar Elite University. If rumors are to be believed, his long, dexterous fingers are good at more than painting perfect pieces of artwork. The rumors don’t make me hesitant to be around him. It’s his nickname, right along with his brother.

The Merciless Twins.

Elijah is the cruelest of the two. He’s the devil disguised as an angel, and for that, I avoid him at all costs. Even when we were kids and I saw the monster beneath the mask he wore, I stayed out of his path. He was the first twin I met when my mother married his father. The look of pure disgust he gave me matches the one he gives whenever he spares me a glance, which isn’t often.

Asher is a little better than his identical twin. He’s the quieter of the two and keeps to himself. But that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s just as merciless and terrible as his brother. I’ve seen him whisper things to Elijah, inciting the maliciousness in him toward others.

The Merciless Twins have made a reputation for themselves at Astar Elite. Don’t ever cross them and don’t ever let them set their sights on you.

Elijah slips his hand into his uniform pocket, his bored gaze on Derrick. Strands of his jet-black hair dance in the light breeze. His expression doesn’t change, but I’ve been around him enough to spot his disgust for me through his body language.

Tense shoulders.

A slight curl to his lip.

His eyebrows pinch together, as if I reek of shit and he can smell me from where he stands.

“Awww,” Katie’s mocking whine echoes across the courtyard. “Is the freak going to cry?”

The guys snicker at Katie’s comment. Except for Elijah, but he never shows emotion.

Derrick steps forward and gestures toward me. “Kick the ball over here.”

I grit my teeth and straighten to my full height with the crow clutched to my heart.